What should we call these things

[raingarden]

They're a feral flock that usually number about a dozen adults plus young of the year. We have been lightly feeding them for thirty years through family and chicken generations. They breed reasonably true, albeit, there is some variation in the color of hens. The hens in the photo are pretty typical of the rest of the flock. The rosters always look the same except for slight variation in leg color. They're large bentum size but I've never weighed one.

We call them "The Chickens" but maybe there is a proper name.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

They're a feral flock that usually numbers about a dozen adults plus young of the year. We have been lightly feeding them for thirty years through many chicken generations. They breed reasonably true, albeit, there is some variation in the color of hens. The hens in the photo are pretty typical of the rest of the flock. The rosters always look the same except for slight variation in leg color. They're large bentum size but I've never weighed one.

We call them "The Chickens" but maybe there is a proper name

Photos?

 

[raingarden]

Sorry to be late. You replied before I could figure out how to add the photo.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Sorry to be late. You replied before I could figure out how to add the photo.

Oh! No big deal.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

They're a feral flock that usually number about a dozen adults plus young of the year. We have been lightly feeding them for thirty years through family and chicken generations. They breed reasonably true, albeit, there is some variation in the color of hens. The hens in the photo are pretty typical of the rest of the flock. The rosters always look the same except for slight variation in leg color. They're large bentum size but I've never weighed one.

We call them "The Chickens" but maybe there is a proper name.

View attachment 2859978

I’m not sure what they are. The hens look to be Wheaten in coloration but I’d guess they’re mixed breed feral fowl.

 

[raingarden]

Thank you.

What constitutes or how do you define a "breed"?

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Breeds are typically selectively bred for a certain trait by humans. There are some landrace breeds that developed over hundreds of years of adaptation by their environment. These aren't of a named breed but you could theoretically make them into a breed if their traits breed true over a few generations. Anyone can create a breed but getting it recognized by any organization is a considerable amount of work and would require many, many years of dedicated breeders perfecting them and even still it's not guaranteed. Their variety is wheaten

 

[JedJackson]

They are red jungle fowl, which are the main ancestors of modern chickens, probably crossed with imported game fowl. I would call them a land race rather than a breed. They are similar to other feral populations of chickens in other warm places.

I would just call them Hawaiian chickens, myself, unless someone local comes up with a better name. They are very beautiful.

 

[JedJackson]

This is a good article about the chickens on Kauai. I imagine the chickens on Oahu have similar ancestry.

https://newsfromthecoop.hoovershatchery.com/kauaiswildchickens/

 

[raingarden]

Breeds are typically selectively bred for a certain trait by humans. There are some landrace breeds that developed over hundreds of years of adaptation by their environment. These aren't of a named breed but you could theoretically make them into a breed if their traits breed true over a few generations. Anyone can create a breed but getting it recognized by any organization is a considerable amount of work and would require many, many years of dedicated breeders perfecting them and even still it's not guaranteed. Their variety is wheaten

That's what I was thinking. Red Jungle fowl arrived here 800 years ago. We'll never know when the thing that caused the wheaton-like blacktail buff was introduced, You see other flocks with these same charcteristics all along windward Oahu. However, some flocks will have hens that more resemble RGF hens. Three times in 20 years I have seen a blacktail buff hen with a offspring that has the markings and color of a RGF. That would be only a fraction of a percent. It is as though they want to revert. The mortality of young-of-the-year is pretty high overall and those RJF-like poullets never seem to be the survivors.

I propose they be called The Darwinian Strain.